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Farmers urged to get slurry advice
10.10.17
Farmers in Donegal who
are concerned about breaching regulations concerning
the spreading of slurry are being asked to contact
the Nitrates Section of the Department of
Agriculture, Food and the Marine by Saturday 14
October, at the latest, to avail of some flexibility
with regards to the spreading of slurry.
Findings from the Agricultural Catchments Programme
(ACP) operated by Teagasc support the current closed
periods in Ireland. A key message from the research
is that there are disproportionately high nutrient
losses to waters during the winter and the current
closed period coincides with the time during which
risks of incidental nutrient losses to water are
highest. Farmers are advised to spread slurry early
in the season when growth and nutrient uptake are at
their peak.
It is recognised that there may be some potential
concerns for animal welfare arising from heavy
rainfall in specific parts of the country (the north
west in particular) and farmers with such concerns
are advised to contact the Nitrates Section of the
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at
053 9163444 or by emailing
nitrates@agriculture.gov.ie with details of the
flooding / trafficability situation, their herd
number and other relevant data.
Such contact should be made by Saturday 14 October
at the latest as the closed period commences on
Sunday 15 October. |
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Farmers concerned about complying
with slurry spreading regulations are urged to
contact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the
Marine. |
Farmers wishing to
avail of such flexibility will be advised:
- To spread only
that volume of slurry necessary to ensure
adequate storage capacity for the remainder of
the closed period
- That any
spreading should occur as soon as good spreading
conditions exist
- That they will
be prioritised for inspection by Local
Authorities in the immediate future to ensure
compliance with the Nitrates Regulations
- That assessment
of overall on-farm storage capacity may be part
of that inspection process
- That the
Nitrates Section DAFM will subsequently contact
the farmers to ascertain and record the date(s)
on which this additional spreading takes place
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Finally farmers must
ensure that safety is their number one priority as
toxic gases are released when slurry is agitated and
one breath at this time can cause instant death. All
of those working with slurry should be aware of the
dangers involved and make sure they work safely at
all times. |
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